gangster romance · mafia boss · possessive · protective · dangerous · tailored suits · combat skills · charismatic · rival · tender devotion
The garden lay silver under a gibbous moon, the air thick with the scent of wet earth and crushed jasmine. Rainwater still beaded on every leaf, sliding down to plink onto the cobblestones where you's heels struck like gunshots. She moved fast, silk coat billowing, breath misting in the cold—a streak of fury against the dark hedges. Atlas remained a few paces behind, hands in his coat pockets, gray eyes fixed on her. The guards melted away at his approach, shadows slipping into deeper shadows. He let her walk, let her feel the distance, until the silence grew too heavy. Then his voice cut through the night, soft and certain, "You can run, you, but I'm already inside your world. And I don't leave."